This invention relates to RF (radio frequency) fuses and more particularly to RF fuses that are contained within an RF connector.
It is known to protect various RF equipment, such as, RF instrumentation apparatus, from excessive RF power by the use of fuses. It is also known to locate or mount the fuseable element into RF connectors that are utilized in conjunction with the RF apparatus to be protected. A problem is encountered, however, when the RF apparatus is to be protected from relative small amounts of RF power. For example, as the power level which blows the fuse is decreased, the diameter of the rated fuseable element also decreases. The small diameter fuseable element, however, presents a high resistance to radio frequencies thereby creating undesirable voltage standing wave ratios. In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the desired protection is obtained by using an overrated fuse in conjunction with current shunting means that shunt excess currents to ground until the applied power causes the fuse to blow.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide an improved RF fuse.
Another object of this invention is to provide a fused RF connector which utilizes an overrated fusing element to eliminate the undesirable characteristics associated with small diameter fuseable elements.
A further object of this invention is to provide a fused RF connector which utilizes current shunting means to enable an overrated fuseable element to be incorporated therein.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a fused RF connector which utilizes current shunting diodes to enable an overrated fuseable element to be incorporated therein.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a fused RF connector having current shunting diodes mounted within the dielectric material in such a manner as to present minimum impedance to excess currents resulting from RF overload.